Keyboard telegraph-transmitter.



. R. .WOLTERS. KEYBOARD "TELEGRAPH TRANSMITTER.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.6,1906.

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PATENTED JUNE 11, 1907.

UNITED STATES PATENT onrron.

KEYBOARD TELEGRAPH-TRANSMITTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 1 1, 1907.

Application filed December 5,1906. Serial No. 346,373.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD lVoL'rERs, a subject of the German Emperor,residing at Dusseldorf, Germany, have invented new and. usefulImprovements in Keyboard Telegraph-Transmitters, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to a keyboard telegraph transmitter which is soconstructed that the contact slide is moved along the contact rail withregularity and without undue speed, even if the key is rapidlydepressed.

In the accompanying drawing: Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly insection, of my improved keyboard telegraph transmitter; Fig. 2 is asimilar view of a modification, and Fig. 8 a view similar to Fig. 2,showing the parts in a different position.

The contact slides 1 are provided, as usual, with alternating conductingand non-conducting surfaces, where they are adapted to engage thecontact rail 2. Slide 1 is pivoted at 12 to operating lever 8, and has atappet 3 which is adapted to engage upper and lower stops 5, 4, both ofwhich are adjustable. From slide 1, extends a nose 6, having a pair ofinclined faces, adapted to be engaged by a spring 7, which thus servesto hold the slide in either of its two positions. To lever 8, is pivoteda pawl 11, engaging a ratchet wheel 13 turning on arbor 14 of key 8, andoper atively connected by a suitable train of wheels, to the shaft of aregulator or governor 10 having preferably spring-influenced vanes, asshown. l/Vhen thekey 15 on the end o'flever Sis pushed down, the slide 1is raised against rail 2, while pawl 11 moves freely over teeth ofratchet wheel 13-. If the key is now released, lever 8 is raised by aspring 16, while slide 1 glides down along rail 2, to make the slidingcontact desired. During this upward movement of the lever pawl 11 willturn ratchet wheel 13, to operate governor 10, which thus effects auniform ascent of the key, and consequently a uniform and gradualdescent of the slide along the contact rail. The vanes of the governorshould be adjustable, to obtain the speed desired.

In the construction shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the regulated contactbetween slide and rail takes place during the depression of the key.Here the operating lever is jointed, being composed of front arm 8, andrear arm 9, which have their fulcrum 14 on the axis of ratchet wheel 13.Arm 9 has a shoulder 20, adapted to engage a corresponding shoulder 19of arm 8. To arm 8 is pivoted a springcatch 17, adapted to engage akeeper 18, and having a tail-piece 21, which is adapted to be engaged byshoulder 20 when arm 9 approaches alinement with arm 8. ()n pivot 14turns the ratchet-wheel 13 engaged by pawl 11 and adapted to actuate theregulator 10. Arm 9 is influenced by a weak spring 22, while arm 8 isinfluenced. by a strong spring 16.

If arm 8 depressed by key 15, against action of spring 16, shoulder 19clears shoulder 20, (Fig. 3), so that spring 22 can raise arm 9, whilearm 8 is held down by the en gagement of catch 17 with keeper 18. Duringthis movement of arm 9, pawl 11 will turn wheel 13 to actuate thegovernor, which will thus cause a slow and uniform raising of slide 1against rail 2, even if the key is quickly depressed. \Vhcn slide 1 hasbeen sulliciently raised, shoulder 20 will push back tail-piece 21 ofcatch 17, so that the latter is liberated from keeper 18. Arm 8 will nowbe raised by spring 16, so that its shoulder 19 will reengage shoulder20 and lower arm 9 against action of spring 22.

It will be seen that the construction shown in Fig. 1., is substantiallythe same as that shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the difference being that,while in Fig. 1, the regulated contact takes place during the raising ofthe key, in Figs. 2 and 3, such contact takes place during thedepression of the key.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, a spring-influenced key, acontact rail, a contact slide pivoted to the key and adapted to engagesaid rail, and a pair of stops adapted to be engaged by the slide,substantially as specified.

2. In a device of the character described, a spring-influenced key, acontact rail, a contact slide pivoted to the key and adapted to engagesaid rail, a tappet on the slide, and a pair of stops adapted to beengaged by the tappet, substantially as specified.

3. In a device of the character described, a spring-influenced key, acontact rail, a contact slide pivoted to the key and adapted to engagesaid rail, a tappet on the slide, a pair of stops adapted to be engagedby the tappet, and means for locking the slide in position,substantially as specified.

4. In a device of the character described, a spring-influenced key, acontact rail, a con tact slide pivoted to the key and adapted to engagesaid rail, a nose on the slide, and a spring on the key adapted toengage the nose, substantially as specified.

5. In a device of the character described, a springinfiuenced key, acontact rail, a contact slide operatively connected to the key andadapted to engage said rail, and a pair of stops adapted to operativelyengage the slide, combined with a governor, and means for operativelyconnecting said governor to the key, substantially as specified.

6. In a device of the character described, an arbor, a key and a ratchetWheel rotatable on the arbor, a contact rail, a contact slide pivoted tothe key and adapted to engage said rail, a pawl pivoted to the key andadapted to engage the ratchet Wheel, and retarding means operativelyconnected to the ratchet wheel, substantially as specified.

7 Ina device of the character described, an arbor, a key composed of twospring-influenced sections, both rotatable on the arbor, a contact rail,a contact slide pivoted to fluenced sections, both rotatable on thearbor, a contact rail, a contact slide pivoted to the first key-sectionand adapted to engage the rail, a catch pivoted to the secondkeysection, and a shoulder on the first key-section adapted to engagethe catch, substantially as specified.

Signed by me at Dusseldorf, Germany this 9th day of November 1906.

RICHARD WOLTERS.

IVitnesses ALFRED PHLMEYiJR, M. ENGELS.

